A New Perspective
by CasualHipster
Summary: It's the end of an era, Yusuke and Keiko's relationship has finally collapsed. Maybe he saw it coming, maybe he deserved it, but Yusuke's childhood friend Ren certainly isn't about to let him see it that way. Lots of angst and angry teen swearing in the first few chapters, but once their tempers mellow out, how exactly had Yusuke not seen it in the first place? Yusuke/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Obviously I am not Yoshihiro Togashi, I claim only my original story lines and characters.

* * *

 _ _Day One__

 _ ** **Yusuke.****_

"Yusuke, you bastard!"

I'd be a liar if I said that my and Keiko's relationship was perfect. It wasn't, and it never would be. All I could think about was that day, over and over like my mind was getting some sick pleasure from it. The day that I royally fucked things over.

"I was so stupid to have trusted you. Even after all the time I wasted believing you would finally come around, why would I be good enough? Why would I be deserving, right? Well you've told me pretty straight now. I'm done, Yusuke Urameshi. Done with you and all of this crazy shit I've been through because I thought that you loved me."

Of course, she had been right. I mean for Kami sake, this girl had been through my death, __twice__ , been through the Dark Tournament, stuck by my side even when we found out I was some kind of half-breed, and waited while I sorted out the giant fucking mess left for me to clean up in Demon World. I had told her when I finally came back that I was done, that no matter how much that little brat bugged me I was done being Spirit World's lackey. It was just me and her.

But then someone's always got to go for world fucking domination, and I've got to have the thrill.

* * *

 _ _Day Four__

 _ **Yusuke.**_

 _Stupid..stupid..stupid, god DAMN IT YUSUKE! Look what you've gone and done now! The one girl who willingly put up with all your shit and you just push her aside. Just get off your ass and go apologize..BEG her to take you back, sleep on her front fucking porch until she does, just do SOMETHING instead of just sitting here like a useless fucking moron!_

* * *

 _ _Day Seven__

 ** _ **Ren.**_**

"Hey, Kuwabara, you seen Yusuke around or what?" It wasn't typical of him to skip this many days in a row, usually Atsuko would catch on by the third day or so.

"Nah, Ren, sorry. Come to think of it, I haven't seen much of Urameshi anywhere. Not school, the arcade, nothin'."

 _So where is the idiot anyways?_ Yusuke and I had known each other since we were basically in the womb. Our mom's had been good friends (with the bottle, that is) and found themselves, go figure, knocked up at the same time. I guess it was only natural they found support in each other, as for Yusuke and I, it was a mutual understanding that bonded the two of us. Ninety-five percent of the time, yeah we were pissed, so it was just nice to have someone that got it and knew how to help you get by it.

"God damn, alright. I'll try and find Keiko, see if she knows anything."

"All right, but, Ren?"

"Hm?"

"When you do find him, could you let me know? It's kinda buggin' me that he hasn't reared his ugly mug in so long."

As much as the two didn't seem like it half of the time, Yusuke and Kuwabara were really close. They always had been, even before Yusuke died the first time. Yusuke gave Kuwabara something to strive for, and Kuwabara something for Yusuke to look forward to, even if it was smashing his face into the pavement.

"Sure thing, bud."

I guess it had been weird the first time Yusuke had explained everything to me, him being Spirit Detective and all. At the same time though, it really wasn't, I mean, what else is going to surprise you once your best friend comes back from the dead? Keiko, however, had not taken it so gracefully. It was almost like a form of denial for her, like he had never really died. He knew it would only cause her emotional turmoil if he told her everything, so he made the choice to keep her in the dark. If Botan could have only managed to keep her mouth shut, maybe their relationship wouldn't be as confusing as it is now.

"Hey, Keiko, you got a second?" She was sitting with her face glued to her textbook, bento sitting untouched in front of her.

"What?" Her voice was harsh, like she didn't even want to see me. Maybe she was studying for a test in her next class.

"Kuwabara and I are starting to get worried about Yusuke, he hasn't been anywhere in days. You haven't spoken to him, have you?"

She lifted her nose from the book and looked at me, "And why on Earth would I have spoken to Yusuke?"

My brow furrowed at the malice in her voice. What had gotten into her? "Well I don't know, maybe because the two of you just happen to be -"

"Yusuke and I broke up the other day, Ren. I haven't seen or spoken to him since."

 _ _Holy. Shit.__ _  
_

* * *

 ** _ **Yusuke**_** _ **.**_

 _Fuckin..stupid..moron..do something you no good..piece of shit. Can't just let her go. Can't just watch her...walk away...  
_

* * *

 ** _ **Ren.**_**

 _ _Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! Should've gone to check on him sooner, should've__ _known_ _ _something was wrong by now.__

Each second that passed I found myself willing my feet to carry me just a little bit faster. I was no Hiei, I had no training that would have made me faster. Just an ordinary human who couldn't get where she was going fast enough.

 _ _Fuckin' elevator...no time for that.__

I wound my way up several flights of stairs until I ended up at Yusuke's apartment, went for the handle, and it was locked. Went for the spare key, not there.

"Damn it, Yusuke! Open the god damn door you idiot! You can't stay in there forever!" I stood there, smashing my fists against the wooden door until my hands stung. "Ass."

I ran back down the stairs and out to the rear of the property where trees still grew, climbing the one I had seen him climb up and down numerous times after our late night escapades when we were younger. Branch after branch and many sticky fingers later, I was outside his room, rapping on his window. The room was dark, and there was no sign of Yusuke coming to open the window for me. I inched further out onto the already weakening branch and pressed my face to the glass for a better look.

It wasn't pretty.

Now, don't get me wrong, Yusuke's room was usually a mess, but _this_ , this was different. Pieces of furniture lay strewn across the floor, some whole, others in pieces; papers shredded, posters ripped off the walls, fist sized holes taking their place. I could barely see his bed from the window, pushed up against the left wall, light barely catching a pair of sock clad feet. I placed my hand over my eyes and strained them even more. Maybe he had been waving, and I just couldn't see him? It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light, but when they did I could finally make his entire body out. He was leaning against the wall, staring at the one opposite him. Something was wrong though, his eyes held absolutely no expression at all, completely null and void of any emotion or sign of life. His chest wasn't moving like it should have been with every in and exhale.

"Yusuke?"

Nothing.

"Yusuke, can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Damn it, Yusuke!"

I pushed his window open and fell rather unceremoniously onto the floor. My feet couldn't push me fast enough in his direction as I slid on the papers scattered across his room. I jumped onto his bed and grabbed him by the collar. His hair was disheveled from the grip of his rough hands, grime stained face only interrupted by fresh flesh from the tears he'd undoubtedly shed. His shirt smelled of sweat from tearing his room to shreds. Most horrifyingly, I could tell from his sunken cheeks, boney wrists, and rib cage I could count, I knew he hadn't eaten in days, probably hadn't had anything to drink either.

"Hey, jackass! Yeah I'm talkin' to you! Wake the fuck up!"

I got nothing in response, just the same dead look as his head gently lolled to the side.

"Yusuke, this isn't funny! Listen, I'm here now. I know I should've come to see you sooner, but I'm just so used to you not bein' at school anyways and I just...I'm sorry okay? Just wake up, I know you're hurting inside and I know this really fuckin' sucks but you've got to snap out of this! You've got to eat, drink something, take a walk, anything!"

My pleas went on for what seemed like hours, still getting me nowhere. I could feel the tears starting to prick at my eyes. __Damn it, Yusuke! You died fucking__ _twice_ _ _, made a career out of kicking ass, and you're gonna quit on me__ _now_ _ _?__

"Hey asshole! Don't give up on life, on everyone that gives a fuck about you, on me, damn it! You've been through far worse than this!."

I don't know when it happened, but at some point I had given up on holding my tears back and started punching him in some deranged attempt to wake him up. He just took it. It changed absolutely nothing. So I just watched as his white t-shirt slipped from my fingers and his body fell limply back onto the bed.

"You're..such an ass, Yusuke. Givin' up after something so stupid." I fell to his chest, sobbing relentlessly, "Was it just that easy to forget about me? Forget about everyone you'd leave behind? You're one selfish bastard, Yusuke. I hope you're fuckin' happy."

* * *

 ** _ **Yusuke.**_**

 _ _Kei..ko..Why'd you..NO! Don't...leave me..__

"Yusuke... isn't funny..."

 _ _Kei..ko.__

"...selfish bastard..."

 _ _Kei..ko?__ _ _  
__

* * *

 ** _ **Ren.**_**

At this point, I didn't know whether to believe what was happening or not. Yusuke Urameshi, my best friend, the kid who kicks ass and takes names, was giving up after something that paled in comparison to the rest of the bullshit he's had to deal with.

"Kei..ko?" His voice sounded gravelly, having been put through so much misuse, but it was his voice.

"Yusuke? Hey! Yusuke, over here!"

"...Ren? Where's Keiko? I just heard her..."

"Are you serious? She dumps your ass, leaves you fucking comatose, and she's still all you think about?"

"She was just here...calling me a bastard."

"I've been here for god knows how fucking long trying to wake your ass up out of that god damn trance you were stuck in. Hate to break it to you, but I'm the only one here. Keiko's not coming."

I could see what little life had returned to his eyes starting to slip away as he rolled on to his side whispering Keiko's name under his breath.

"Hey...hey, Yusuke, stay with me buddy. HEY! Wake the FUCK UP!"

"What fucking GOOD will it do me?"

"Don't you fucking snap at me. She left your ass for dead. I'm the one who broke into your apartment, trying hard as I could to wake you up until eventually I was just fucking crying!"

"You..what?"

"You locked your apartment and hid the key, so I climbed in through the god damn window to find you boney as fuck and totally unresponsive."

"She...left me..."

"For fuck sake, Yusuke! Keiko doesn't _deserve_ you. She doesn't understand that sometimes you just need to skip school, need to kick some ass, need to _save the fucking world_. If she's not going to accept who you are then to __hell__ with her. You need better than that."

His brow furrowed as he sat up against the wall again, clenching his jaw. We sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of us really knowing what to say to the other. Instead, I reached for my bag.

"Here," I said, chucking my bento at him, "you haven't eat in days. You look emaciated."

"...Thanks." I watched him as he fumbled with it, first unable to open it, then just an uncoordinated mess as he tried to eat. I sighed gently, taking it from him.

"Here." I lifted the food to his mouth and waited for him to finish with it before I did the same again. It was bizarre, seeing him so feeble, so helpless. I don't know what I would have done had he not woken up, probably the same as him.

* * *

 ** _ **Yusuke.**_**

She hadn't said anything to me in a while, but I couldn't stop thinking about what she had already.

 _"_ _ _... Keiko doesn't__ _deserve_ _ _you. She doesn't understand that sometimes you just need to skip school, need to kick some ass, need to__ _save the fucking world_ _ _. If she's not going to accept who you are then to hell with her. You need better than that."__

I needed...better? ...Someone who understands.

I watched her as she pulled her bento from her bag, and then she looked up at me. _Am I really that fucking stupid?_ She looked like her entire world was crashing down around her. She had broken into my apartment, ripped me from my pit of depression, and now she's spoon feeding me like a fucking baby.

"Hey," I said, taking the box from her before she went for the next bite, "thanks. You know you didn't have to do this."

She quirked her eyebrow at me.

"What are you, fuckin' crazy or some shit? Of course I did, you're all I've got."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey all! Well, this story has been on quite the adventure let me tell you. It started as a one shot I wrote...yikes like five years ago? Then it migrated over to this account so I could keep track of it. It's called Inconsolable, and you're more than welcome to read the story as just a one shot, I've only changed a few minuscule things in this version so it lends itself to being a longer story. As it turns out, when this was first published I pretty much just did it for myself. I was dealing with some person issues and wasn't really expecting any kind of response but found myself with quite a few people who were subscribing and asking for more. At the time, I didn't have any kind of direction or intent for this story other than the oneshot, but fast forward...wow i guess almost another four years to the day something hit me and I started writing more. It won't be a million chapters long, and I can't promise it'll be the best thing you've ever read from YYH on this site (That honor is reserved for **Future Talk** by **Graphospasm** /cough), but this is a story that I love a lot. PLUS THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH YUSUKE FICS ON THIS DAMN SITE OK. Also, yes swearing will happen in this story, but this opener is pretty much the worst of it. Given the two characters personalities, it shouldn't come as any surprise that when things get heated the dictionary goes out the window.

 **-M**

 **p.s.** Go check out my bestie's Hiei fic, **Hiei of the Thousand Eyes** by **InTheArmsofaTheif**. It's likely that you'll see some vaguely similar fanon/assumed canon between our stories because YYH is literally the reason we became friends a whopping 12 years ago. We're literally adults who still talk about the same show we did when we were 12...every time we hang out.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is where the disclaimer that says I don't own anything nut my original story lines and characters goes.**

* * *

She watched as he pawed uselessly at the remaining contents of the bento, still relatively disinterested. Eventually he laid it down on the floor, filling his hands instead with fistfuls of hair as his elbows rested on his knees. Crawling across the floor Ren knelt in front of him, bending forward in an attempt to create some kind of contact, but Yusuke's gaze remained fixed on the floor, his face contorted as he tried to sort through the emotional weight he was trapped under.

"Yusuke, please. You need to eat more. It's been a week."

His eyes flashed up to meet hers, swirling with turmoil and brimming with tears. Ren felt her snap in her chest.

"I've been sitting here like this for a whole week?" His voice cracked as he spoke, a mirror image of his damaged psyche. Ren's breath seized in her throat, unsure of how to console him when he'd already been left to drown for so long. That's when the wall broke, fresh tears staining that beautiful, tormented face of his. He lunged forward and buried his face into her midsection, arms latched desperately around her like she was the only tether he had to this earth. There was no sound other than his erratic breathing, but Ren could feel hot tears as they soaked through her uniform blouse. Still unsure of how to tread the situation, she thought it best to just let Yusuke work though it, so she continued sitting there holding her crumbling best friend in silence and traced light circles on his back, cooing gentle words of reassurance. Slowly his breathing returned to a more regular pace and he released one of his arms, wiping his face on the sleeve of his worn out t-shirt. The other arm stayed, his fist clenching onto her blazer.

"What the hell am I doing, Ren."

She offered no answer, it was clear he wasn't looking for one.

"I'd say 'just look at me', but I think it's pretty obvious at this point that I'm a total fucking mess." He sat up, running his hands though his disheveled hair and rubbing his temples. "Yusuke Urameshi, eternal fuck up."

At that moment something in Ren snapped. She grabbed him by the chin and dragged his gaze back to hers, "Don't you dare talk about yourself that way, Yusuke. You have so much to offer the world, so much heart. I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but Keiko leaving is going to be the best thing that has ever happened to you. Keiko was never in love with you, she was in love with what she thought she could make you. The perfect pet project, that's what you were. It was selfish and cruel of her to treat you how she has for all these years, making you feel like some sort of defect. Keiko wanted normal, boring, 9-5 love and that's just not who you are, Yusuke. You are so much more, and if she's too stupid to see it then that's her own damn fault. You're too good for her."

The two sat cross-legged facing each other now. Yusuke let out a low, listless chuckle before leaning forward and resting his forehead on her shoulder. He took a few deep breaths but didn't say anything in rebuttal. Maybe it was the fatigue, or maybe Ren was getting through to him. All she was sure of was his deep, rhythmic breaths and his eyes fluttering shut, so she continued.

"She wasn't any good for you, Yusuke. I know it's going to take some time for you to see that but you will, someday. You deserve someone who's going to compliment your soul, someone who brings out the best instead of telling you to be better. Someday you'll find someone and pleasing them won't seem like a chore; you won't have to work hard to make them happy and that's how it should be. They'll appreciate you at your best because they still love you at your worst." Yusuke released one final, exaggerated exhale before he straightened back up. He rested the tip of his nose on his laced fingers as they rest in front of him. The two shared only eye contact for a brief moment before a weary smile cracked out from behind his hands.

"There you go again, rainin' down on me with all that wise old spirit shit." Ren slapped his knee playfully with the back of her hand, a slight tint of rouge dancing across her face. "You've always been like that though, never tellin' me no but always saying the right things to get me to think it myself. You've got some special way with words."

She couldn't help but smile at her friend, "That's what I've been studying so hard for, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Miss University over here," he flicked his nose with his thumb, "don't remind me." A scowl soured his expression.

"You know, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I was waiting to tell you but – I did get my acceptance letter." Yusuke diverted his attention to something, _anything_ but the conversation at hand. "Yusuke come on...it's a letter from the local university. I'm staying right here."

He glanced back at her through the corner of his eye.

"No shit?" Ren nodded in agreement and a cheeky grin spread across his face. "Well why didn't you just say so?"

"I was waiting until you dragged your ass back to school but," Ren paused, reevaluating the nature of the conversation, "forget about it. You smell like shit, let's get you in the shower."

He lifted his arm and took a deep breath that he was definitely not prepared for. "Damn straight, no bouquet of roses over here that's for sure." Ren laughed as he wrinkled his nose while putting her shoulder under his raised arm and hoisting him off the ground.

"Let's get that taken care of then."

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

Gotta admit I feel pretty stupid being carried to the bathroom like this, especially by a girl. Still, I definitely needed the help, and maybe I didn't mind as much because it was Ren. She was the one that wanted to help after all.

I shifted my weight over to the sink while she started the shower, looking in the mirror for the first time in – a week? Kami I looked like shit. My fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. Look at me. Look at how absolutely fucking useless I am. Weak.

"Yusuke?"

I looked past my pathetic reflection and caught her eyes in the mirror. _They're greener today._ A pang shot through my chest when I remembered she's been crying. _Look at her, look at what I've done to her._ Her usually angular face was swollen from tears, more Japanese looking ironically. Her loser dad had been some vacationing European, so her features had always stuck out in a crowd. A lot had changed in the three years I spent in the Makai, _she'd_ changed a lot. Even her hair was different, what used to hang well past her waste was now only an inch or two past her chin. It still had that same gentle wave it always had, nut it fell in her face a lot more now, slender fingers brushing it behind her ear just like –

"Yusuke don't waste the water, let's go."

"Yeah all right, but I'm not getting undressed in front of you, you pervert." That's a lie, I probably would have.

"Oh no, you've caught me," she said, feigned guilt, "the great Spirit Detective, he always gets down to the truth!" Her laugh reminded me of a wind chime, soft with a melodic clarity that broke through my foggy senses. She turned to leave but I wasn't ready to let her go. I reached out and pulled her back flush to my chest, one arm around her waist and the other latched across her body and held onto her shoulder. We just stood there, a single moment seeming like it lasted a lifetime as I rested my head on the slope of her neck. She smelled like fresh ginger, a fragrance that lingered as the room filled with steam.

"I'll go make you something to eat," she said, bringing the silence and the tie between us.

What the hell am I getting myself into?

* * *

 **Ren.**

As the bathroom door closed behind me I made a desperate attempt to steady my breathing. Yusuke and I had always been close, our comfort with each other was often threatening to anyone who might have been interested in me and didn't understand it was just playful banter. It was never anything serious. It 'throw your arm around my shoulder and call me pal' kind of close. _That was_ much _different, almost_ intimate _._ No, I needed to shake those thoughts from my head. He was in emotional distress, he wasn't thinking clearly and I was over-analyzing things. I needed to make some food.

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

This was a bad idea. What the hell am I thinking? This is _Ren_ I was thinking about...nope, _stop that._ Definitely none of those thoughts, just got to focus on...

 _Oh for the love of –_

What the shit is happening to me? Fuckin' Mazoku genes probably. I let out a long sigh.

 _This last week has been a fucking roller coaster._

* * *

 **Ren.**

Prep was done and everything was stewing on the stove. Yusuke was taking a while in the shower, but he was probably just clearing his head. He could take all the time he needed. In the meantime I picked up Atsuko's clutter around the kitchen and dialed the phone.

 _Ring...ring...ri –_ "Kuwabara residence."

"Hey, Shizuru, it's Ren. Is Kazuma home yet?"

"Hey, sweetheart. Yeah, baby bro is home being a nerd studying –" "I HEARD THAT!" "GOOD! KEEP IT UP! Anyway, just give me a second and I'll grab him for you. And Ren?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sure everything will be fine soon."

Even through the phone Shizuru always knew when something was up.

"You know you can't tell me to study and then make fun of me for it, it's counterproductive." "Oh just talk to Ren you big idiot." "WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY IT WAS HER, thanks for nothin'! Ren? Ren, you there?"

"Yeah I'm here, Kuwabara. At Yusuke's actually."

"So you found him? What's up, he get pulled outta retirement again for some solo mission or somethin'?"

"Yeah I found him, and no...he's just been here all week."

"So the good for nothin's just been lazy and makin' us worry all week I'm gonna kick his ass for sure!"

"Kuwa – stop. Just because I found him doesn't mean he's ok. He's...he's not doing well, Kuwa. He ripped the place to shreds, hasn't had anything to eat or drink in a week. Keiko left him, after everything he's done for her she just _left him_. Left him here alone with nothing but a bunch of broken pieces." Kuwabara was silent on the other end of the line. "I think I just need to stay here with him for a little bit, just the two of us until I can pull him out of it. I'll let you know how he's doing in a few days."

"Sure thing, Ren. Just let me know if you need anything, ok?"

"Will do, Kuwa. Now get back to studying you dweeb."

I could hear his muffled protests as I hung the corded phone back up, but I knew he understood I was only joking.

 _I should probably pick up his room a little bit, clean the slate._

There was a spare set of sheets in the linen closet, as well as a broom and small dustpan. Not that anyone in this apartment actually knew how to use it. Now that Yusuke wasn't the center of attention, I could see that most of the chaos was, thankfully, superficial. A lot of unfinished homework – and unfortunately he would need a new chair for his desk. I couldn't help but scan through the pages as I sorted them. It was a lot of chick scratch, but he really could be a decent student if he'd just try and show up to class, many of his answers were either correct or properly started. A little push of the broom here, picking up the splintered chair there. The fresh sheets still smelled of laundry soap. There's not much that can be done about the holes in the walls, but maybe they could be covered by some posters. I could hear the door creaking open as I stuck the final pin back in the wall.

"Hey Ren?" I turned when he questioned. Instant regret. "Could you toss me some pants?"

There he stood, practically naked right in front of me. Just a stupid, _thin_ towel wrapped lazily around his waist. I swallowed hard as my ears started to blaze. _Kami, Yusuke._ His hair was still wet and matted against his forehead, dripping down his jaw, chest, his –

"Nope, think I'll just stay over here," I said, hurriedly turning away from his hot gaze. My nails bit into my palms.

"Oh come on," before I knew it he was right behind me, mouth at my ear, "don't leave me hanging."

I shivered before elbowing him in the stomach. "Yusuke, don't you dare use that demon speed on me. You know I hate being spooked."

His breath ran down my neck as he chuckled, embracing me again the way he had in the bathroom. This time there was even less between us, the water on his chest soaking through my shirt.

"I know, I can hear your heart pounding."

 _If only you knew._

"Well let go then, you're soaking my uniform."

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

It was different holding her this time, now that I couldn't chase the thought of her from my mind. It was like everything off-kilter in my life just snapped into place, like a fog had lifted and things were finally making a little sense. I mean, yeah, I'd always known she was pretty, but it was more because of the way other guys chased after her not how I saw her. Standing here now, I don't know when the last time was that I actually _saw_ her. Definitely not recently, _definitely_ not how she looked now. Not with the body I could feel hiding under this uniform.

"Well let got then, you're soaking my uniform."

"Oh?" I spun her around, her hands grasping on to the edge of my desk. "Is that the only reason you want to be let go?" The flush on her face was beyond noticeable at this point, but then again, I wasn't wearing much. She turned away, obviously flustered by our closeness. I nudged her face back toward mine, noses touching. "Because if it's your uniform you're worried about I could – "

"Now listen here, you ass," she said, finger pressed to my nose and pushing me back, "don't you walk in here thinking you can pull that demon seduction shit with me."

I noticed the crease in her brow. _Wait a second, wasn't she..?_ No, that was frustration, not anger. Wait, what the hell was I doing?

"Sorry," I side stepped, falling back on to my bed, "I guess I didn't realize what kind of effect this would all have on both sides of me. In a way, I think the demon part of me is taking the loss a little too hard. We were never that serious, but I think those animal instincts are taking the ache in my heart...well I guess it doesn't work that way anymore but you get what I'm trying to say. It's taking it a little too seriously, like a death, and when a demon loses even a potential mate...well," I looked back at her now relaxed frame, "instinct says to find a new one."

The blush was back, but she straightened up defiantly.

"That might be so, but I don't want to be some shitty rebound. I'm worth more than that"

"Yeah, I guess that's fair."

"I don't want you to turn to me like that just because you need someone to tell you they love you. I want to be loved too." Her expression lowered into a light frown.

"Don't I know it."

"Come on," she said, hand outstretched, "dinner's probably done."

The two teens walked out to the kitchen, the events that just transpired leaving him unsure of how closely to follow. He sat down at the counter top while Ren filled his bowl.

"Oh _man_ does that smell good," he sighed, a hearty portion of beef ramen being set down in front of him.

Ren winked back, sitting down with her own, "Learned from the best, didn't I?"

"You know now that you mention it I am a pretty fantastic cook. Granted, when you spend three years in the Makai and the average table spread is nothing but freaky things that aren't even cooked half the time, you learn to fend for yourself." A cheeky grin spread across his face, "What, no drink? Thought you were taking care of me?"

"Oh shut up, you ass," she responded to his pouted lip, "I've got your drink right here." She slid a can down the counter to him, still cold to the touch. For a moment she was sure his eyes were going to fall out of his head. Keiko never would have let him sip a beer, much less offer a whole one to him. "I figured you could probably use it after the week you've had."

Yusuke nodded in agreement as the two fell into silence while eating their meals.

"You know, you could do it if you really wanted to. Open a ramen stand, I mean."

"Yeah well, hate to go disappointing everyone by fucking off and being a nobody."

Ren reached out and grabbed him by the wrist.

"You're not a nobody, Yusuke. It makes you happy. If you really want to do it, then I believe in you."

His heart ached in a different kind of way. After years of being told to be better, be _more_ , it was almost unsettling to feel – _supported_. Sure, having his buttons pushed got things done, but that was with anger, not heart. When their meal was done, Yusuke threw his arms out in a wide stretch, a yawn ripping through his chest.

"Man I'm beat, think I might hit the sack."

He tried standing, but ultimately had to catch himself on his chair.

"Easy there, Bambi. It's going to take a little for your legs to kick back. Let me help." She helped him on to his feet the same way she had earlier, trudging along until they made it back to his room. It was much darker now and Ren didn't have a free hand to hit the light switch. She'd been through his room countless times before, navigating it in the dark shouldn't be too –

* * *

 **Ren.**

I felt my foot catch on the trash bag from earlier, and just like that we were crashing on to Yusuke's bed. As we hit a wash of lavender aroma erupted from the sheets. _Definitely glad I changed those._ In my effort to support him as we fell, somehow I ended up half underneath him, my back to his chest. I tried to wiggle out from under him, but his hand gripped my shoulder.

"Don't go, please."

"Yusuke...I think you need to take your time and sort through whatever remaining feelings you have for Keiko." It wasn't what I wanted, but it was what he needed.

"Tch. Keiko...Keiko's no good...you're good, make me feel..." he slipped off for a second, "feel like I'm not so bad. Like I'm good." In retrospect, anything past the first beer was probably not a good idea after a week of eating practically nothing. I thought about trying to leave again. "Please stay."

"Fine," I sigh, pathetically defeated by the idiot on top of me, "but only because I'm still worried about you." I could almost hear his smile as he exhaled, pulling me tighter to his chest.

"Thank you – for everything," he whispered, his hot lips kissing my shoulder before he slipped away for the night.

"Always, Yusuke."

I don't think there's a damn thing I wouldn't do for this boy.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Since the first chapter was really just a repost of an old story, I didn't want to seem like a lazy asshole and not post something new. Plus, I guess it's insurance to keep me posting.

 **-M**

 **p.s.** Again, she might have just started it but seriously check out **Hiei of the Thousand Eyes** by **InTheArmsofaTheif**. I think she's much better at this whole fan fiction thing than I am but she's also my bestie and I love her lots so read her story.


	3. Chapter 3

It went on like this for days while Ren helped Yusuke get back on his feet. Piece by piece he found himself again, but pulled those pieces together in a way they hadn't been before. The change wasn't something that went unnoticed to either of them, with the honest support he felt from Ren Yusuke had flourished. Eventually he didn't need her help so much as he wanted her company, except for when he'd stay the night. A little more than a week after Ren had first found him she finally left to sleep in her own bed. Around two in the morning she heard her window creak open.

"mmm...Yu-suke?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and her hair out of her face. Bed sheets were tangled around her legs.

"Hey Ren, sorry to just show up like this..."

"No, no it's ok," she sat up while releasing a yawn with a wide chested stretch. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah, something like that."

She saw the grimace spread across his face.

"Come sit with me," she beckoned, patting the empty spot next to her. After a brief moment he conceded, resting his head of unkempt hair on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nightmares. Every time I woke up I thought it was over, and every time I fell back asleep it was some new kind of freaking torture. Laughter, some voices I knew, most I didn't. Each one mocking me, telling me what a miserable failure I am. Stupid teachers from school, stupid nosy neighbors, Kei –"

"Shh..." she cut him off, pulling the tormented young man closer, "don't worry about it, none of it was real."

"Wasn't it though? Isn't it just the same bullshit I've been told my whole life?"

"Don't say that, Yusuke," her voice was sharp. "That's not true and you know it. Maybe when you were a punk ass kid, but you have grown so much in the last few years. Your loyalty is relentless, you're fearless in the face of certain death. You've saved the world time and time again knowing that you would never get the thanks you deserve. You give everything you have to even if that means your _life_. You are not a failure, if anything those people have all failed you. Your insecurities are eating away at your self worth. Don't you ever, _ever_ forget how important, how _special_ you are. You aren't perfect, but you're too good for those people. Look at the people around you; me, your teammates, the friends you've made in the Reikai and Makai. The ones that matter won't ever make you question yourself."

"Yeah, all that warm and fuzzy shit."

Ren turned him to face her.

"I'm serious, you brat." The instability he'd been fighting for the last week whipped wildly around his eyes, "You are _worthy_. I don't care if I need to say it every day, multiple times a day for the rest of my life. You deserve happiness more than anyone I've ever met. You've been through more in the last four years than any normal person experiences in a _lifetime_. I will always be here to remind you of that."

He slumped back down on her shoulder and sighed, "I guess one day I ought to give up and believe you. I don't know how I'll make it through the next eighty years or so if I've got to listen to that spiel every day."

"Shut up and get some sleep, you punk.

* * *

It had been two months since that night, the two teens still falling asleep in each others company. Eventually they switched entirely to staying at Ren's because Yusuke's twin size bed was not doing them any favors. She'd grown used to the light snoring and the way his limbs splayed out over her, come to love observing the calm serenity that washed across his face in the faint light of the morning. It'd proven beneficial to Yusuke, her morning routine was infectious and he was now in classes more often than not. He wasn't a star pupil by any means, but he was still doing better than expected. Long gone were the days of copying Ren's homework, and while he still needed help from time to time, with the help of summer cram school and a little Reikai interference to make up for the last three years, he was on the path to graduation come springtime.

"Hey, way to go Urameshi! Who woulda thought you had it in ya?"

"Well don't sound so surprised, Kuwabara," Yusuke mocked menacingly, putting his friend in a headlock, "I had to come up with a new way to kick your ass since it'd be unfair to waste you with my demon powers."

"Oh don't act all tough on me, we both know it's just because you're too chicken to go up against my new psychic powers. I learned a lot while you were gone, maybe it's time I teach you a lesson!"

"Right, you're going to teach me? While we're at it why don't we get Okubo to teach you how to count higher enough to keep track of all the times I shoved your face in the dirt!"

"Honestly, will you two ever let it go?" Ren questioned, walking past the two squabbling comrades to her locker.

"Ha, not a chance! Gotta make sure I keep Urameshi in line!"

He glowered at Kuwabara as he left to head to his next class, "Gee thanks, mom. You gonna pack me lunch too?!" Once he was out of sight, Yusuke joined Ren at her locker.

"Study for the test, Yu?"

"I mean I read the book, that's gotta count for something right?"

"As long as you read it."

It had taken Yusuke a while to adjust to not having his ear chewed off when he said something like that. The absence of constant nagging was, oddly enough, what motivated him to keep up with his studies. At first he didn't put much effort in, but without being made to feel like whatever effort he _did_ put in wasn't enough, eventually he caught up.

"Yeah it wasn't took bad once I got past the first few chapters."

He leaned against the wall with his hands behind his head while Ren fiddled with the lock. Soon enough there was a small _click_ and Yusuke couldn't help but crack a smirk when she opened it and a bright blush rose to her cheeks.

"Those are your favorite, right? The firework ones?"

"Firecracker, but yes." Ren swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like she hadn't had anything to drink in days. "Where did you even get these? It's too early in the season for sunflower blooms this big."

"Good thing I happen to know a particular red-head who specializes in this kind of thing then." The smile on his face made it evident how pleased he was with catching her off guard.

A smile of her own spread across her lips as she gingerly brushed the petals with her thumb. "Thank you...I didn't think you remembered – but what are they for?"

His breath caught in his throat.

 _Come on,_ he told himself, _this is what you've been waiting for!_

"I mean I just know that you like them," he mumbled out. _Smooth._ "Plus, you know...we've got that summer carnival thing in town to celebrate summer vacation and everyone getting their admissions letters..." He became increasingly unnerved as Ren stood there, wait for him to continue, "Anyway I thought it might be cool to go and hang out – but that's besides the point!"

The second she spent waiting for her response were arguably the worst thing he'd had to endure in his eighteen years on planet Earth.

"Sounds fun," she said grinning, "we haven't been since before the world got a little too complicated. Now that you're off the Reikai ball and chain, it'll be fun to do something normal again. It's practically tradition."

"That's – _right_ , yup. Exactly what I was thinking."

"Over the weekend then? It'll be a nice way to wrap exam week."

"Sounds good to me." _I have_ got _to work on my delivery._

* * *

 **Ren.**

Botan nearly choked on her bubble tea.

"I'm sorry, he _what_?!"

"He just asked if I wanted to go to the carnival like when we were kids. It'll be fun!"

"Oh no that's _not_ the part I'm talking about, sweetheart. That can mean a lot of things on its own but when he goes out of his way to get your favorite flowers..." she raised her eyebrows suggestively at me, "seems a little, _suspicious_ , don't you think?"

I squinted my eyes at her, trying to analyze where this accusation was coming from. She leaned toward me and elbowed me in the side, a mischievous glint in her eye. I stopped dead as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

"No."

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"No, I did not just say yes to a _date_ with Yusuke!" There was that look again. "Did I?"

"Oh don't act so _depressed_! This is what you wanted, isn't it? For quite a few years now if I remember correctly..."

"In its own due time if it was meant to happen, it's only been a few months!"

"The heart works in mysterious ways, Ren. Listen, you told his he needed to take his time to get over her, right?" I nodded. "And that in the meantime he wasn't to pursue anything until he was absolutely sure, right?"

"Yeah, but – "

"No buts! He listened when you asked that of him and now he's finally made his move! Oh, I'm just positively beside myself with excitement!"

I groaned, rubbing my temples, "At least one of us is..."

"Oh hush you'll feel it once you get past the nerves...and I know _just_ how to help with that! It's a good thing we're already at the mall, because we need to find you an outfit lickity split!"

"What's wrong with the ones I own?!"

"Nothing, silly, it's just a good excuse!"

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

"I don't know, Urameshi. Sounds like you shoulda been more direct."

"Oh what, like you with Yukina? You don't gotta tell me that, I already feel like enough of a jackass."

"Talk smack all you want, at least at the end of the day my lady love knows how special she is to me!"

The rest of the week, aside from exams obviously, had gone by smoothly. Now it was just typical Saturday video games with Kuwabara.

"So you guys meeting up later?"

"Yeah, a few hours from my place since it's closer," I fidgeted in my seat, "just wish I didn't feel like such a wreck."

"Yeah well don't sweat it, it's pretty obvious how crazy she is about you." _Geez, was my head that far up my ass?_ "'Sides, I've seen how much she's affected you in the last few months, that's not the kind of change a normal bond causes."

"You think?"

"Nah man, I know. She's got the same kinda string to you as I had to Yukina. I've seen it." A couple of years ago I might have said my heart just pounded in my chest but that's not really how things work anymore. It's more like my body's just constantly humming, and when something throws me it seizes for a second while I try to get my shit back together. An anti-heart beat? Energy skip? Who gives a shit. "I just hope you know how good she is to you. I've known Ren a pretty long time too, so if you don't give that back and end up wasting her time I'll knock your lights out."

His words bit harder than usual, a flip of the switch from how much of a goof he usually is.

"And wear a clean shirt, would ya?"

* * *

It's not like it took me long to get ready once I was home, but I spent a good hour staring in the mirror trying to psych myself up – _anything_ to cut the nerves.

I sighed in frustration, hitting the counter, "Why is this so difficult? You're Yusuke-fucking-Urameshi, stop being such a punk ass little bitch!"

Except I knew why it was difficult, it was because I actually wanted this. After years of doing the song and dance with Keiko, it was like a big light bulb went off in my head the day Ren found me. I stuck things out with Keiko because everyone just expected us to be together, and she wanted it so bad that I did too. When she cut things off it fucked with me because I didn't feel wanted, not because it broke my heart. Then Ren shows up and I finally see that same look in _her_ eyes, so I think _alright then_ and go for it because I'm a piece of shit that just needed to feel _wanted_ again. Pretty fucking pathetic, except she's not having it. She wants me to want it too, even with the emotional pull I can finally feel from her she's still got her head on straight enough to smack mine in circles. It was fair of her to ask and selfish of me to assume she'd settle for any less. Now here I am after two months of stewing, two months of waking up in the middle of the night and being dumb struck by how absolutely fucking beautiful her face is in the moonlight. Two months of feeling things I didn't know I was supposed to feel about a person, of actually knowing that first moment and having to wait until she believed I was ready. So I finally gave in, got her flowers and asked her on a date. Granted I did a shit job at it, but the point got across. I think.

"That's it I can't do this anymore."

It was still earlier than the time we set to meet up, but I couldn't sit still anymore so I started walking to her place. That was the chivalrous thing to do anyway, right? Maybe the walk would calm my nerves.

Except it didn't. I dragged my feet the whole damn way and over analyzed every possible thing to the point where I was almost late getting there. I was almost at the building by the time she stepped out of the stairwell.

"Yusuke? I thought we were meeting at your place?"

 _I think I forgot how to breathe. How do I do that again?_

There wasn't anything fussy about the way she was dressed, but that was just the thing. Ren could look good in just about anything, even the pajama pants that were three sizes too big that she wore on movie night. She always seemed to favor simplicity, a trend she'd stuck with tonight. A short sleeved white blouse with a scooping neckline, a small chain necklace hanging over her exposed collar bone, a flowing, golden-yellow skirt that just grazed above her knees but hung daringly snug high on her waist. My face started to feel warm.

 _Kami I can hardly see her body in that and it's still all I can think about. Snap out of it!_

"I uh, just had some extra time to burn. Didn't want you walking alone."

"That's sweet of you," she said walking toward me, the hem of her skirt licking at her thighs in the light breeze, "but you know, I do walk alone all the time." Even when she was busting my balls she was perfect. She'd caught me though, time to change the subject.

"You," I choked out. This was a lot harder than I'd expected. "You look really great."

Her cheeks flushed that familiar shade of pink, but she didn't miss a beat.

"You don't look so bad yourself once you get out of that terrible uniform." This was the kind of banter I lived for. A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.

"I could get out of this too."

"I'm sure you could, Yusuke, but I'd rather spend tonight having fun instead of watching you get booked for indecent exposure."

She got me again, just another thing to love about her. She might think my jokes are terrible, but her sense of humor is just as twisted as mine. I caught a glimpse of her necklace as it shone in the retreating sunlight.

"You still have that thing?"

"Of course I do, It was a gift from you and a promise that you'd come back."

It was one of those fancy stones Hokushin lost his lid over when I used them for lots in the first Makai Tournament. This one I'd clumsily carved her name into and handed off to Kurama when he went back home. It was yellow, her favorite color.

"It always meant a lot to me. Despite not being able to come home you found a way to let me know everything was going to be ok. It's special, I'll always hold on to it."

I couldn't help but stare at her while we were walking. The sun was setting, but for the moment we were trapped in the moment when everything the light touched lit up like gold. Her eyes blazed in it too. They weren't the same deep green as Kurama, no, more like the tender green every tree starts to bloom with in the spring time, they looked _alive_.

* * *

 **A/N:**

As it would turn out, I actually have a large portion of this story typed up and ready to go, so I'll probably be throwing up a new chapter twice a week. However, like I'd mentioned before I don't foresee this being a long story at all. As a free form fic that isn't adhering to any existing story line I don't want to weigh it down with arbitrary details. That being said, now that most of it is written this story should be an absolute maximum of 10 chapters, but I'm closing in on the finale currently in chapter 7 so we'll see!

Time to throw myself under the bus! Anyone _seriously_ familiar with the story/Japanese schooling, sorry! Per canon, when Yusuke arrived back from the Makai it would have been the end of Keiko and Kuwabara's final year in high school, give or take a few months. So...I manipulated it a little for story telling purposes to reflect more similarly to the American school system. What I did leave intact, though it holds very little relevance to the progression of the story, is that Japanese school years start in April. They can't all be perfect, but at least I'm honest.


	4. Chapter 4

Yikes, ok so I realize I'm a terrible person for taking so long. There's really no excuse, this has been a completed document on my computer for quite some time now, so maybe then I'll post the next chapter right after to make up for it? Please forgive me?

And a **very special thanks** to those of you who have taken the time to review/subscribe/favorite. You all make my heart swell.

* * *

 **Ren.**

I'll be the first to admit I was glad we were walking in comfortable silence. I was _planning_ on using the walk to Yusuke's to quell my anxiety about the night. I just needed to remember that this wasn't some normal first date. Yusuke knew me like the back of his hand so I wasn't here to impress, I just needed to be myself.

Walking next to me was the same Yusuke I've always known. Same slim cut jeans and t-shirt with a stretched out collar tucked into them, same red jacket, but he was so different these days. He found a little bit of peace in his life, he was finally thriving, finally pushing for something other than being the most fearsome punk on the streets. It brought a smile to my face. As we finally arrived at the carnival, he turned to me with the big, goofy Urameshi grin on his face. His eyes lit up like molten copper in the last of the setting sunlight. Giggles started bubbling up from his chest.

"Come on," he urged, grabbing my hand, "let's go on the big spinning rides _before_ we get food."

He dragged me through the crowd with childlike excitement I hadn't seen him show in too long.

 _This is my Yusuke._

* * *

And ride the big spinning rides they did, and the tall ones, and the fast ones. They took turns making ugly faces in the fun house mirrors, won a cat plush half the size of Ren that they promised they'd give to Kuwabara off of a game of ring toss, nearly broke the strong man hammer, ate their weight in fried food and then again in ice cream and cotton candy. Eventually their binge caught up with them, so they resolved to walk it off.

"Do you miss it? Being Spirit Detective and everything."

"I did, for a really long time I did. Before my life was all about kicking ass, and then kicking supernatural ass. I got used to life being one shit show after another, each time with stronger opponents, with more of a challenge. When it was all over, everything just seemed – _dull._ Life was boring and I had to cope with not serving a purpose anymore. I figured it out eventually though, and while I definitely miss kicking the snot out of demons, I learned how to live life normally again...normal as possible anyway."

"Hmm." It took Ren a while to respond. "I'm glad to hear that. For a while – after Keiko – I was afraid you might run back to the Makai. She was the reason you came back after all."

"Hey," Yusuke stopped, stepping toward her and lifting the chain around her neck, "she wasn't the only reason."

A chill ran down her spine from the closeness and the context it fell under. Yusuke offered her his jacket assuming she was cold, insisting his demon blood would keep him warm. He looked down at the red jacket on her slight frame and smiled.

"Now you look like one of your sunflowers."

The color her cheeks turned rivaled that of the jacket on her shoulders.

"Come on, little sunflower, Let's hit up the ferris wheel."

Yusuke grabbed her by the hand but moved with less urgency than before. Maybe it was all the energy they'd spent running around earlier, maybe it was just because he wanted to spend a little bit longer with their fingers entwined. Their hands only broke apart when they boarded their cart on the wheel, sitting opposite from each other. As it started spinning, Yusuke once again found himself too entranced by the way the lights from the bright carnival signs danced across her face to hold a conversation.

"There's supposed to be fireworks, right?"

"What?" Yusuke questioned, shaking his head to snap out of his trance.

"Fireworks?"

"Oh yeah, that's what I heard."

"I hope we can find a good place to watch from."

"Big pyrotech fan, are we?"

"For fireworks anyway. I love the lights and the way my whole chest vibrates when they go off. They're exhilarating and beautiful all at once, quite the combo."

"Yeah," he paused, "you're telling me."

The ferris wheel reached its apex and clunked to a stop. The horror on Ren's face was almost palpable as she squeezed her eyes shut and clung to the railing of the cart.

"Hey, you ok?"

"Mhmm, yup...just trying to not think about falling to my death."

"You're joking," Yusuke said incredulously. "You're not joking, you were fine on all the other rides though?"

"Yeah but we never stopped on those ones so I had the adrenaline to keep me going. I think I'm going to be sick."

"Woah alright, easy there. I saw all the shit you ate today and I'd hate to see that end up on some poor bastard's head. Just hang tight." Yusuke shifted over to the other side of the cart and threw an arm around Ren, who proceeded to crumple defenselessly against his chest. "You know I could always just pick you up and jump down."

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

"I don't think that's a good idea for public appearances," she mumbled into my chest. I could feel her shaking.

"Just providing and alternative." The cart shifted a bit with a large creek, earning a muffled yelp from Ren as she clung to me for dear life. "Hey Ren, look at me." She wasn't budging. "Please, Ren. Just open your eyes for a second." Reluctantly she did, the fear in her eyes was obvious. _After everything she's been through she's scared of a ferris wheel._ I might have laughed at the irony if I didn't care so much. "Listen," I cupped her cheek to provide some kind of gentle reassurance, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, you hear. I've fought off far worse than a ferris wheel. You're safe with me and you'll always be safe with me." I pressed my forehead to hers, nose to nose, "I will always be here for you."

I watched as some of the fear slipped away and at the same time suddenly became all too aware of how close we were. Her breath was warm and clung to my lips like I wanted to cling to hers. I felt her hand come up and rest on mine. My mouth ran dry.

* * *

 **Ren.**

My fear of sudden death evaporated in the heat between us. I held on to his hand, a million thoughts running through my head but all of them singing the same tune. _Kiss him_. I glanced down at his slightly parted lips and licked mine. _So close, I barely even need to –_

 _BOOM_

I felt the echo of the first firework rip through my chest and jerked back in surprise, causing Yusuke to slump forward into the open space between us.

"At least we've got good seats."

We left not long after that and arrived back at my place without any repeats of the ferris wheel event – _unfortunately_. I locked myself in the bathroom, saying I needed to get ready for bed. I suppose I did, in a way, my prep just involved clearing my head which is _incredibly_ hard to do when you share a bed with the person it's racing about.

 _Why couldn't I have just grown a spine and kissed him while I had the chance? I mean, this is what I want, right? And he's the one that asked me out so it's what he wants too? But then why hasn't he tried again? Did he change his mind? Is he going to tell me? I can't answer these questions myself._

This was it. I had to go out there and confront him.

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

My face was buried in my hands.

 _Why am I such a dumbass? Why didn't I just kiss her then and there? Pull her back and lay one on her? Did I blow it?_

No, I had to take advantage of this before the moment was gone for good. I could hear the bathroom door unlocking.

"Listen, Yusuke, I just need to understand what's going on in your head."

I was in front of her before she even finished, her breath hitching on the last word as I stepped closer.

"Sorry I'm shit at communication," I tilted her chin up toward me, "and I still don't really have the words for it but – "

There wasn't even time for me to finish what I was saying, because at some point she'd already wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled _me_ in for a kiss instead. The kiss I'd been waiting months for, the intimate closeness that couldn't possibly be compared to us just sharing a bed. I felt her nails running against my scalp and a shiver shot down my spine, a primal growl forcing its way out. Before I could make sense of what was happening I had her pinned to the nearest wall, hands roaming freely against the bare skin of her back when her blouse came untucked. I was desperate to be closer to her, and if this was how I felt after only a few months, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for her. The feeling of my bottom lip being tugged between her teeth pulled me from my thoughts fast enough to give me whiplash, and again I found myself in a flurry I couldn't see through until I was starring at her underneath me. On her bed. That primal switch in my brain had already been flipped, the same part of me that acted on its own two months ago, finally in sync with the rest of my mind.

* * *

 **Ren.**

The second he gave me that look it was like it all clicked into place an inhibition flew out the window. He hadn't done much to his hair today, which I relished in as I dragged my fingers through it. He smelled like fresh air and cedar pine, something I'd become accustomed to but had never been this intoxicated by. Time was a blur, it seemed like only a split second between when I had pulled him in for a kiss and being laid out on my bed. He kissed up my jawline and down my neck, nipping at that tender spot where it cradled into my shoulder. The sensation sent my mind into a tailspin, a whirlwind I hadn't expected – and one that was too much to be from my clumsy Yusuke.

"Yusuke," she squeaked, "Yusuke stop, please. Look at me." His reluctance to stop was made obvious by his irritated groan, but when the two made eye contact Ren's suspicions were confirmed. Eyes that were once had warmth like hot chocolate were marred a darkened by the deepest part of his consciousness. "We can't do this."

"Ren you said you only wanted to do this if it was real. This is real," he insisted, diving back for her neck. She caught him.

"That might be the case, but this isn't how I want it to be. Not like this." She slid out from underneath him and took him by the arm.

"What's that supposed to – "

"Just look, Yusuke." Her fingers started tracing lines up his arms, except they weren't just passive motions. She was tracing the faint blue that was starting to stain his skin. "Do you see it now? This doesn't change anything, please believe me when I say that. I knew this part of you existed and I love it just as much because it's the only reason you're still here breathing. It's just – you're different like this, and right now I need my bumbling Yusuke. I get that things will probably take longer, but I need human you first."

Yusuke hesitated. _Has it always been this way? Am I always like this?_ He wondered. "I – I don't know how to do that."

"We can figure it out. Human love before demon lust, in all of its awkward, fumbling glory. I know how you come out feeling when that part of you takes over...I don't want to lose you in it."

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

I realized she was right as I watched her trace the markings on my arm, concern flushing out the rosy tinge of her cheeks. There wasn't much I could make heads or tails of when it came to how we got here. I remember _feeling_ , but I couldn't remember much else. A crushing weight bore down on my chest when it finally hit me. More than two months I waited for this – and I couldn't even fucking remember it. The Mazoku side of me had taken enough already. I need to hold on to the human part of me for dear life if this was going to work. I needed to fight for control.

"You're right," I mumbled, traces of the Mazoku hanging on the tone of my voice, "you're always right. I've been biting this back for a while because you asked me to, and that's got all parts of me pent up pretty bad, but I've gotta remember that it's the human part of me that wants this so I have to hold on to that."

My thumb brushed against the side of her waistline of her skirt and I froze when the sensation registered. These hands had seen hell over the years, calloused and rough against the stark contrast of how soft her skin was. The thin strip of flesh exposed between her skirt and the raised hem of her blouse practically shone in the moonlight. _There goes another one of those energy skips._ Ask me to save the world? No problem, be back before dinner. Put me in exactly the kind of position I've been imagining myself in for months with the person I'd been beside myself falling over? I could feel the quake in my bones. This all felt like foreign territory, like I was some grade school loser who'd never even kissed a girl on the cheek. This was the human part of me in the equation and I had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to kiss her, for real this time, the way it was meant to be. Any instinct to breathe went out the window as I closed the space between us. My lips met hers with all the anxiety I felt in my mind. It was clumsy and imperfect, but she kissed back and the air returned to my lungs.

 _This is what it's supposed to be like._

I could feel the warmth of the kiss down to my core. It was a blanketing sensation, one that made me feel everything she did. Tender and gentle, calming – loving. It washed over me, pulling me deeper into the kiss, closer to her. _This_ was perfect. _She_ was perfect.

* * *

 **A/N:** This chapter makes me weaaaaaak. The fluff just kills me with these two. Let know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey all! Welcome to chapter five of _A New Perspective_. This chapter will feature a time jump of approximately seven months (from late July to late March). That's also, coincidentally, nearly a year of total time elapsed in this fic. I know, I know, that's a lot of time to skip but you know I don't fuss around with much filler and this chapter is when we _finally_ get started in the plot line. Oh ho ho! You thought this was just fluff? Think again! We've got some fun stuff coming!

As always thank you to the lovely angels that have favorited and followed the story, and a special thanks to **LadyAmazon** , **Melody-Ravenwood** , and **Reality' e** for your kind reviews.

Now that that's all said and done, let's go!

* * *

"No way, I can't look," Ren insisted, back firmly to the wall covered in exam scores.

"Come on, it's not that bad." Yusuke grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. "You have to open your eyes eventually."

She willed them to stay shut in defiance. "You don't get it, Yusuke. This is it, the last score of the last exam we'll ever take as high school students. There's no do-overs or another year to bring our scores up. It's all over." She opened her eyes just to look at him. "I don't want it to be over."

"C'mon, the big bad adult world is only three feet away."

Her mouth tugged into a frown, a crease forming between her furrowed brows. She sighed in defeat and turned toward the score papers.

"I – " her breath hitched, "I placed seventh in the class? I placed _seventh_ in the _class_?!"

"Yeah I mean, that's what you wanted, right?"

"What I _dreamed_ of maybe, I never thought I'd make it anywhere close to the top ten! Where are..." she scanned the pages for his name, "holy shit, Yusuke?! Twenty-second?! There's fifty of us, you placed in the top half of the class!"

"Only for this year, but," he grinned, "it's enough to graduate."

Ren threw her arms around his neck, "I can't believe you did it! No that's a lie, I absolutely believed you could do it but now it's _happened_."

"Well I'll be damned, Urameshi. Never thought you'd do that well."

"Gee, thanks for the overwhelming vote of confidence, buddy. Really puts a nice cherry on top of the sundae." His eye twitched in annoyance.

"Oh come on, you know I'm just bustin your balls. You worked real hard and I'm proud of you. You put down your fists and focused on being a better man. You deserve it for sure."

Yusuke was so unaccustomed to this level of civility between himself and his best friend that he nearly couldn't think of a response. "...thanks, Kuwabara."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for! Motivating you to keep kicking ass no matter what form it takes." A cheeky grin spread across his face. "You know I made some calls and everyone's agreed to get together at Genkai's later. See you there?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, buddy."

* * *

Yusuke noticed the way Ren fidgeted in her seat on the train, how she keep clasping and unclasping her hands. He put his hand over top of hers in a calming gesture.

"Ren, what's wrong?" She chewed on her lip. "I can practically feel how stressed you are."

"No it's nothing, seriously. Just a little motion sickness I think. I'll be fine when we get there."

He conceded, seeing that she didn't want to talk about it. Draping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer, he kissed the top of her head. She relaxed, even if it was only a minuscule amount.

* * *

 **Ren.**

Truth is, it wasn't motion sickness and I wasn't feeling better, but I know his friends would take his attention away from me. Tonight is about them.

I hung close to the front doorway as Yusuke made his way around the room, beaming smile after glorious smile as he greeted each of them. They were all familiar in one way or another, whether I knew them personally or had seen them somewhere. It was good to see him surrounded by so many people that loved him. Well, loved him _now_ anyway. Yusuke had this funny way of making his closest friends out of people who wanted the glory of kicking his ass. None of them had ever succeeded, but I guess it was the fighter spirit that bonded them all.

A raspy, curt voice called from my side, "So are you going to stand in the door all night or are you going to stay a while?"

"Well you know Yusuke, Master Genkai. I figured there was a solid chance he'd pick a fight with someone and I'd have to move out of the way."

"Mhmm." I could tell she didn't believe me. That's ok, I didn't either, so I joined her at the table and she poured me a cup of tea.

"Lavender?" I noted before taking the slightest sip.

"I could feel your nerves from the bottom of the steps. You going to fess up what you're lying to him about?" Genkai questioned, raising her brows and looking in Yusuke's direction.

My head shot down, face burning red in embarrassment.

"It's stupid, really. It's just – in comparison to everything Yusuke's been through I feel like my normal human problems are a joke. Today was our last day of high school, so from here on out I'm expecting a lot is going to change. Kuwabara is moving into the city for university, and even though I'm attending here at home, Yusuke's going to go off and do his own thing too. I just feel like everything is happening so fast that if we don't pay close attention things will start falling apart." I could feel hot tears pricking at my eyes.

"Don't you dare start crying at my table," she sighed, putting her cup down. "Listen up and listen good, because you'll be lucky to see me act this nice ever again. Look at him. Take a _good_ look at him. He might still be a dimwit but he's not the same stupid kid he was when he came here for the first time. When faced with trial after trial, he came out on top as the young man the is today. I'll be the first to admit that I thought pushing all his buttons was what was going to make him great, and I was right, from a fighters perspective anyway. It took me months to even make a crack in the ten foot wall of bullshit he hides behind, but you just walked up and opened a door through like it had always been there. He's experienced a spiritual cleansing. He's not that pig-headed brat that would pick a fight with anything that moved anymore. He's happy with normal life now because of you. He might be an idiot, but there isn't anything in the three worlds more precious to him than you."

I very nearly felt the my breathing seize. "I think I need some air."

"You know your way around, and don't ever repeat what I just said. We don't need his head inflated any more than it already is."

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

Even though the barrier between worlds had been down for years now, I still couldn't remember the last time I'd seen some of these guys. I guess not being the Spirit Detective has a way of distancing me from things.

"Chu, you drunken bastard, get over here!" Our foreheads collided in nearly perfect timing with the laughter bursting from our chests. "Man you smell like happy hour at a dive bar. What've you been up to? How's _Natsume,_ hmm?"

"Always bein a coy li'l minx, that one. I tell ya every time I see 'er I give 'er a real run for 'er money. One-a these days I'll catch 'er with her guard down – sooner or later she's gotta slip up, mate! It's comin, I can feel it deep in these bones..." A strangled hiccup managed its way out of his mouth. "Anyway, Urameshi," his head lolled back upright, "speaking a sheilas, when you gonna open your trap about that one right over there?"

I didn't need to look to know he was talking about Ren.

"Heya, Urameshi, the big oaf makes a good point, don't he? Two o' yas walked in all cuddly canoodly like but haven't so much as made a single lick o' eye contact since."

"What are you guys talking about? You definitely met Ren at the Dark Tournament. We were just kids back then but she still looks like herself..." Chu and Jin both leaned forward, the concentrated scowls on their faces almost comical. "...she has cut a lot of her hair off..." I guess it finally clicked for them since they reeled back in their seats.

"Mate – you're tryin ta tell me that that wild little spit fire grew up into _that_?"

"Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" A hearty chuckled bubbled up from Chu.

"Sorry mate, but _she still looks like 'erself_ has got to be the understatement of my lifetime! Sure 'er face 'asn't changed much but Urameshi – just look at 'er! You sly dog you, swoopin' in here with the catch of the century, that is assuming – well, you know..." He raised his eyebrows, trying to goad me into the rest of the question on my own.

"Chu, what the hell man! I didn't come here to be freaking interrogated!"

"Woo-hoo! Sounds ta me like Yusuke 'ere can't bring 'imself ta say it. You know friend, they say silence is just as loud."

"Man, screw both of you. It's not that," How to put it? "it's just – complicated. I got a lot of shit to deal with technically being a demon and everything, most importantly being that every time I want to get... _closer_...to her, I start popping fangs and fucking tattoos everywhere. If that part of me comes out it's like I'm not even there. I don't want to miss it, any of it."

During the long pause I heard Ren leave the room.

"Well fucks sake, mate, ain't nothin worse in the three worlds than not being with the one ya love."

 _One of those fucking energy skips again..._

 _Wait a second,_ did _I love her?_

"'Ey Urameshi? Lad, ya look like you was just punched straight in the gut, ya do."

 _Ren._ My _Ren. Always been there for me and smacking my ass in public, Ren?_

"Ol' Jinny here is right, Urameshi. Looks like you're seein double."

I groaned.

 _Why do I always feel like the last one to the fucking party?_

"Woo-hoo, calm yerself before ya fall over," Jin insisted as I shot out of my chair. Last I'd seen she was with Genkai, but now the hag's sitting alone.

"Which way did she go? Where's Ren?"

Chu pointed to the door before resting an enormous hand on my shoulder.

"Sure you don't want to wait a sec, get your bearings? Looks like the three worlds just shook beneath your feet."

I brushed him off. "No way, man. Not this time. I've waited way too long."

* * *

 **Ren.**

My mind was reeling, flipping over every last _minuscule_ thing that I could possibly overreact to. The world was spinning and I'd never felt smaller and less in control. It shouldn't have surprised me when Yusuke sat down next to me, though his hand resting on mine did nothing to quell my racing heartbeat.

"Ren, you gotta talk to me eventually." Washes of silver moonlight caught every exquisite angle of his face. It was longer now that we were older, having exchanged its youthful roundness for a subtle air of maturity. It made little sense to try and hide how I was feeling.

"I'm just scared. Years of the same routine with the same people has made me comfortable, but today was the last day of that. Pretty soon we all start the next part of our lives as adults, and those lives are already starting to head in different directions. I'm just worried that when it all goes I won't have anything left."

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

"I'll always be here. Can't get rid of me that easily."

"That's what you say now, but with school and work how often are we really going to see each other? What's going to happen then?"

I turned to face her completely. "I don't know what's making you think you'll ever get rid of me. And everybody else? So what? Whatever happens, happens, but I've had enough people walk in and out of my life like a freaking revolving door to know everything is going to be fine."

She chewed on her lip but didn't respond. _Did she really not believe me?_

"Ren?"

* * *

She didn't even have enough time to completely face him before he pulled her into a kiss. His lips were rough and chapped against hers but full of a silent comfort that made tears sting at the corners of her eyes. She knew then that she was being foolish, wondering how she'd ever let herself doubt him. Yusuke pulled away slowly, but not before leaving a flurry of quick kisses behind, and rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm not going anywhere," he reassured.

"I know, I don't know why I was – "

"I love you."

There was a moment of stunned silence between them while Ren tried to process what was just said to her.

"As in I'm in love with you, like I don't ever want to know what this shit world is without you in it."

She hesitated. "Yusuke...this isn't some new feeling for me, it's been too long for me to not be positive. Don't – don't say it if – "

"I do mean it, and I'll say it every day, multiple times a day for the rest of my life until you get it."

"I don't know, Yusuke..." as Ren trailed off, his breath hitched in his throat. "Deal with you chewing my ear off for the rest of our natural lives? Sounds pretty terrible."A grin spread across her face as Yusuke released the breath he'd been holding, returning the expression. "Maybe just a couple more times though."

He pulled her in for another tender kiss. "Fucking hell I love you."

The professions of love continued, breaking only to provide a barrage of small kisses all over her face between each one.

"Yusuke," she giggled, "Yusuke come on! OK! I asked for it but that's enough for now."

"Think you'll get sick of it?"

"Definitely not, can't say the same for this breeze though. It's a lot colder now that the sun's gone down." The hemline of her navy skirt danced across her knees. "Want to head back inside? You could help Yukina with dinner and surprise everyone."

A mischievous grin crossed his face. "Come to think of it, you are the only one I've cooked for..." Giddy laughter leaked through his teeth as he placed a hurried kiss on Ren's shoulder. She shuddered when the warmth of his lips was gone, only to find herself blanketed in his jean jacket.

* * *

"Wow, Yukina. I think this is the best ramen you've ever made!" Kuwabara exclaimed between extended slurps.

Yukina, Ren, and Yusuke all exchanged glances before bursting into a fit of giggles. Everyone else at the table eyed them quizzically which only made Yusuke laugh harder.

"I don't get it, why are you guys laughin?"

"Oh, Kazuma. That's a very kind thing of you to say but I actually didn't make this – Yusuke did."

"No way, Urameshi made this?!" He grabbed Yusuke by the collar, who was still in a fit of hysterics. "Listen up, punk! If you're laughin cuz you did somethin to this food I'm gonna beat your face in!"

Ren wiped the tears from her eyes, "He didn't do anything, Kuwabara, he just wanted to surprise you guys. Yusuke's been cooking for years now, it's just only ever been for his mom and me."

"I must say that was an unexpected surprise, Yusuke," Kurama said, laying his chopsticks aside. "Being able to cook is one thing, but cooking at a level that rivals Yukina, impressive." The small ice apparition smiled.

"That's sweet of you, Kurama, but even with the years I've spent in Ningenkai Yusuke wields a much more advanced command over this worlds seasonings."

"Hey, you guys have seen the food in the Makai. If you thought I was going to eat that shit for three years you're _crazy_."

The gang laughed into the late hours of the night, most of them becoming more than friendly with Chu's flask of Ogre Killer. They drunkenly wrestled with each other, reminisced about their times together in both tournaments, and made promises to not be such strangers anymore. Regular sparring arrangements were made not just to keep in touch, but in preparation for the next Makai Tournament in just three months time.

"Damn, can't believe it's already been three _years_. Where'd that go? Shoulda made it a longer term..."

"Might feel that way mate, but you don't get ta see the other demons like we do. Three years is nothin to a demon, so believe me when I say it's just enough time to keep 'em real jazzed and behavin real good for the next one."

"Guess that's true, plus who's not going to jump at the chance to take on the Mighty Mazoku, Yusuke Urameshi?!" He struck a muscular pose and smiled widely.

"That dimwit will never change," Genkai sighed into her tea from the opposite side of the room.

Ren chuckled, "That's for sure, Master Genkai. Before we head out, could I ask you a favor?"

* * *

"We'll see you guys around!" Yusuke yelled, once again wrapping his jacket around Ren.

"Aye, we'll be seein ya real soon!"

Outside the moon had reached its peak, lighting the forest around them with a silver glow.

"Yusuke, before we go I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Hmmm?"

"Well it's about the tournament specifically..."

He stopped his descent down the stairs and turned to face her. "Ren, you know I've got to compete."

"I know I'm not trying to tell you not to, Yusuke. Thing is –" Ren hesitated, "I want to go with you." She held a small piece of red paper in front of his face. "Help me train?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Heyyyyyy there it is! Told you we were getting somewhere! Things are going to get a bit more adventure filled from here on out so make sure you say tuned!


	6. Chapter 6

Hellooooooooo people of Earth! Coming in swift with the latest installment of _A New Perspective_ , this train is finally leaving the station!

As always, a warm thank you to you cuties who have followed and subscribed to this story, I do hope you're enjoying it! And a very special thank you to **LadyAmazon** and **Totidem Verbis** for your incredibly kind words of encouragement.

I don't know about you guys, but I think it's _pretty_ safe to say our favorite temperamental Mazoku is _not_ going to react well to last chapter's developments. Let's see how everything pans out:

* * *

 **Yusuke.**

"You got some fucking _nerve_ , Grandma, putting thoughts like that in her head." Ren, _my_ Ren training for the Makai Tournament? I could feel the Mazoku in my blood boiling while she just _sat_ there smoking that fucking pipe. The mindless chatter in the room evaporated.

"Even I didn't think you were that stupid, dimwit."

"The hell is that supposed to mean you old hag? Don't go thinking I've been hit in the head enough times to forget these little energy papers are _yours_."

I could hear Ren's exasperated sigh behind me before her hand collided with the back of my head.

"Yusuke, you are such an idiot."

"The hell? Explain to me how you signing a death wish was supposed to go over well?" I could practically feel the venom in my words singe my lips. Her brows furrowed in retaliation.

"You'd better drop that fucking attitude before I have everyone in here beat it out of you. Stop treating me like some stupid kid who doesn't know what they're talking about. Air's too poisonous so regular humans pass out and die if they stay too long, I'm not a moron. I want to train so I'm strong enough to go to the Makai and _watch_ the tournament, not compete in it, dumbass."

It felt like every pore in my body was being expunged of rage and replaced with guilt. _Why'd I have to go and flip my lid like that? To Genkai, Ren?_ When the mood of the room mellowed, Genkai laughed.

"Told you he wouldn't take it well."

A scoff came from the far side of the room as Hiei wandered from his perch into the crowd. "What the fool has failed to account for is how his demon blood is going to react to many situations involving his woman."

"Oh yeah, short stuff? Must've forgotten you were the resident expert in healthy relationships."

"If I might interject, Hiei, I believe I could explain it better to him." I shifted my gaze to Kurama before he continued. "You may have chosen to live your life for the time being as a human, Yusuke, but that doesn't mean that you new demon nature will simply be put on hold. As a human, this is the woman you love. The Mazoku blood is taking those emotions and amplifying them, essentially equating Ren to being your mate. Save the physical formalities, you've entered a sort of - _courting_ phase of your relationship. The emotional tethers you have are enough to awaken a highly irrational, territorial side of you not unfamiliar to your bloodline, if you'd recall some of Raizen's actions. While under the impression that Ren intended to compete, you took even the suggestion that she was capable as an attack on her well being. It mattered very little that it came from someone you respect, even Genkai. You didn't pause to think it might have been a misunderstanding, you merely acted."

 _So I'm like Raizen then, am I? Like ancestral father, like son?_

"Fucking hell, is being a demon going to make my love life any more difficult?"

"It's unlikely. Now that you're at least aware of how you might react to certain situations it will be easier to avoid unintended future conflict. Allow yourself a moment to reflect before acting going forward, however unlike your character that may be."

Being chastised didn't sit well with me, even if I took a second to remember there was a thousand years worth of life experience, _demon_ life experience, hiding inside that head of his.

"All right well shit, sorry for causing a scene guys. Let's just forget the last five minutes or so?"

"Aye, Urameshi, that'd be soundin like a right good idea 'bout now. You keep that noggin a yours nice and level an' s'ppose we'll be seein' the likes a you two in a few months time! Won't be tellin a lass like that no, tha's for certain. Nope, not in this life time!"

"Jin, you don't even know the half of it."

* * *

The ride back to the city was a quiet one. No further ground had been gained on either side of the argument, both Ren and Yusuke being too stubborn to concede. The still air between them followed all the way back to Ren's apartment and filled the empty rooms between them as they went about their business. Yusuke attempted to clear his head with a hot shower.

 _What the_ hell, _Ren? Why would you want this? Why would you want to make yourself a target?_ Still, the voice in his head knew that just being loved by him made her a target. _Why can't I just keep you safe from this part of my life?_ Again he knew, knew it was her love that had driven her to always embrace this part of him. Turning off the shower and dressing in loose pajamas, he left to look for Ren to try and understand and most importantly – apologize.

He found her sitting on top of her desk, elbow propped on the window sill and chin in her hand, the sleep shirt that normally would have hung like a dress pooling at her hips.

"I don't need you to keep me safe, you know."

"Ren, you've got no fighting experience and no idea how to use Reiki. How exactly are you going to handle things yourself?"

"Well that wouldn't be the case if you'd just _let me train_. I'm going to do it anyway, I just thought it might be nice if you helped. What's the big deal anyway, why are you so freaked out by me learning?"

"Because once you start learning any kind of trouble seeking, low life youkai are going to be able to feel it and it just paints a big target on your back."

"So you'd rather me just chill here with no way to protect myself when those same youkai figure out who I am? They're going to come for me regardless. At least now I won't be sitting pretty waiting to die. That slip changed colors without me having any kind of fighting experience what so ever. Genkai says just the proximity to you and everything that comes after you is what's made my spirit energy grow. I'm not going anywhere, so it's only going to get stronger the longer we're together and that target is just going to get bigger. I'd rather be proactive and do something about it than have no understanding of something that can seriously impact my life."

"I know, I _get_ that it's just...I know how this sort of thing affects the way you think. Even though I know better the power still makes me feel invincible. What's it going to do to you? What if you end up just as reckless as me?"

"Well I'm not going into it a cocky fourteen year old hormonal boy so I think I'm already a couple steps ahead in the control department."

He sat on the bed a thought for a minute. "I still can't train you." As her expression soured further he continued, "I won't train you, but if you want to get help from the old bat you know from my stories what you're getting yourself into. I'm just too rough to train anyone I'd be afraid of hurting, It wouldn't do you any good to spare with someone who won't fight back."

Laughter filled the space between them. "Oh come on, she's not going to be nearly as hard on me because I'm actually going to _listen_."

* * *

 **Ren.**

I had been right, my training under Genkai wasn't anywhere _close_ to the nightmare Yusuke had been through. That's not to say my training wasn't hard, just a much smoother process when you aren't a teenage boy with a natural disdain for authority. When Yusuke had studied under her, he was already in pique physical condition for his age. My idea of exercise was lifting grocery bags onto the kitchen counter. I'd opted for fall enrollment at the University so _thankfully_ I didn't have to worry about mixing schoolwork in, but it had still taken a month before I was even allowed to move past strength conditioning. Month two was a focus on meditation, learning to sense internal energy flow and coaxing it into a physical form. Once I'd gotten a handle on how to just force the energy out, it was just a matter of weeding through various techniques and find the one best suited for my reiki. It wasn't the same kind of ki Yusuke had, his was a powerful and refined firing energy that glowed a ghostly blue. Mine was a lilac color that sparked the same as Kuwabara's and stayed restrained to my hands. Given more time, Genkai had assured me, I would be able to push my reiki outward, though it was never be in the same destructive league as Yusuke's. I could hardly believe that I'd weaseled my way into attending this tournament just a few months ago, but hear we were at the gates of Tourin, Hokushin and his monks already fussing over their _Lord._

"Lord Yusuke, you've arrived earlier than expected. We weren't expecting you for another three days."

"C'mon, Hokushin, pull that tree branch outta your ass. I told you to just call me Yusuke, I'm not makin you do any of this stuff and I don't care what the place looks like as long as it isn't in a heap on the ground."

"All the same, Lord Yusuke. My respect for you is my way of respecting your late father. I'll honor my duties to him through you."

"Whatever floats your boat, dude. This is Ren, and _don't_ go callin her Lady either. She's no lady anyway."

I rolled my eyes at his perpetually infantile behavior. "Maybe if I had a _man_ to behave nicely for instead of an ape I'd act differently. Just let me know when the suitors start lining up."

"Lady Ren, a pleasure to finally meet you. It's not an every day occurrence that we have a human bold enough to brave the Makai. Tourin is happy to have you."

" _See,_ Yusuke? That's how you address a lady," I teased, looking back to Hokushin. "Glad to be here."

This years tournament was being hosted by Mukuro. From what I understood, unlike Gandara and Tourin, Mukuro and her ranks were nomadic through their land of Alaric in her moving fortress. She'd selected the wasteland bridging the space between Yusuke and Yomi's territories as the location for proximity reasons. Originally we were supposed to meet with her before heading to Tourin, but given that my stamina for foot travel still paled in comparison to Yusuke's we opted to stop for a bit before heading back out. In the time that we'd stopped I had the opportunity to meet the current king, Enki, and his wife Kokou. Had I not seen the brutes at the Dark Tournament I'm sure I would have been knocked straight on my ass when I saw just how _enormous_ Enki was. He definitely had the threatening presence of a king, but like everyone else that found themselves drawn to Yusuke he was just a big softy inside. At this point, we've made it to Alaric and were waiting for Mukuro in the main hall of the fortress.

 _Who the hell designs a battleship like a big bug? Talk about missed opportunities._

"Hey Yusuke," I whispered, "when's this lady going to show up?"

"Mukuro will arrive once she's done dealing with her subordinates. Not all of us can just sit around and wait for the tournament, Detective."

"You know Hiei, you ought to find something else to call me. I haven't been the Reikai's dog for years now."

"That's of little consequence to me." His eyes switched over to meet mine. "And you've brought the human. At least it isn't the oaf."

"Yeah well she's spent the last few months being a pain in my ass and making me look like a joke at the temple training hard to be here so try to be a little inviting, would you?"

"Besides, Kuwa is too busy keeping _someone's_ sister company." I knew I was poking the bear, but it was just _so easy_ and if he was going to be a punk then he was going to have the same dished back to him. Years watching him with Yusuke and my stint with Genkai, however brief, had prepared me enough for what I knew was coming even if he wasn't moving at full speed. With my hand cloaked in reiki his sword was reflected instantly.

"Hn, better than that idiot already."

"No need to be so warm and cuddly, Hiei. I'd push you a little further but I can't exactly call you tiny any more, can I?" In the fleeting moments we'd seen each other in the last three years he must have grown...seven, eight inches? Before then it had already been another four, he was noticeably taller than me now. "And calm yourself, Yusuke, this is Hiei we're talking about. He attacked with the dull side of his sword. Put all that crazy energy away."

"Hey at least I didn't rip his fucking head off."

"You would have needed to catch me for that."

"Hiei, hardly the way to welcome guests, and friends no less." Ah, the new, placated voice in the room must be Mukuro.

" _Friends_ is not the word I would use."

"No of course not, not even Kurama holds that distinguished honor. All the same," Mukuro broke from her conversation with Hiei and walked right up to me, scrutinizing from a much closer distance than I was expecting. "How interesting that you decided to bring a human with you, though she's stronger than I expected. Tell me girl, is it strange being mated cross species?"

Hiei might as well have set me on fire with how hot I could feel my face burning. Was she seriously being this blatantly straight forward with me? We'd known each other all of what, thirty seconds? "We – that's not – "

"I suppose not, it would be foolish to do so without – well, dealing with that."

 _The hell is that supposed to mean?_

"As a creature of science, I'm fascinated by your resilience to the Makai atmosphere. We don't typically have humans here with any powers to speak of so it's been a blank page in my book." She craned her head while walking circles around me. "It would seem your reiki acts like a filter, purifying the energy in our world to be more compatible with what you're accustomed to. A fascinating process, and the fact that you have enough ki to both shroud yourself in and battle to _any_ extent speaks volumes. I shouldn't be surprised when it comes to the company Yusuke Urameshi tends to keep, he tends to favor the least assuming ones."

* * *

After a few more minutes of casual conversation Yusuke and Mukuro headed toward her private conference chamber to join up with Yomi. Despite there being one reigning king in the Makai, the strength of that title relied heavily on each Lord being a willing participant. The moving nature of Mukuro's fortress was fascinating to Ren as she observed the horizon and all the oddities between. Even the things in this world that were similar to those in her own were painted strange colors. Deep purple trees, blue clouds, oranges skies, she could understand why it was so easy for Yusuke to stay as long as he did. Despite the strange colors, it was oddly familiar. Even as a first time visitor it put her at ease.

"You know he considers you a friend, right?" Ren asked as she sensed Hiei jumping down to the platform she stood on. "And I know you do too. You might not say it, but I've heard the stories from what happened years ago at Demon's Door Cave. You don't have to steel up just because you think he doesn't value you too."

"The relationship I have with your Detective is – complicated. Even our camaraderie was based on wanting to defeat him in battle."

" _My_ Detective? While I admit I'm fond of the ownership that title brings that would mean I actually have some degree of control over what the idiot does, which is _obviously_ not the case." Hiei smirked, knowing all too well how true that statement was. "I get it, you think I didn't go through that same shit with him and Kuwabara? I think he gets it though, seeing you when he woke up on the other side the first time he changed. You sure as hell weren't there protecting the human race. He knows, even if you won't tell him. They all do."

"You're much better than the shrieking banshee he used to entertain."

"And you're much better than the annoying little turd you were when we first met, Kami, almost five years ago? Seems like a lifetime."

"Five of your human years is nothing to a demon. Time has never mattered here, at least it didn't until the terms for King were enacted."

"I can't even imagine a life where five years didn't matter, that's a hugely significant amount for a human. A lot can change in that time in the Ningenkai." The two stood there in silence for a few moments, warm Makai air whipping through Ren's hair as she contemplated how best to steer the conversation in the direction that clouded her thoughts. "Hiei? What did Mukuro mean when she said – _without dealing with that_?"

"Hn, Mukuro has never shied away from cutting edge experiments, she's able to accomplish a lot more than was ever thought possible. Even death is no obstacle for her at this point."

"Yeah but like, deal with _what_?"

It had been a long time since Ren was last chilled by the demon's odd currant eyes, though perhaps it was because she'd usually seen them in passing sweeps as he disinterestedly stared off from conversation. She wasn't used to being under his direct gaze and suddenly found it incredibly unnerving, no matter how long she had known him.

"She was speaking of you still being a human. Her subtlety on the matter was wise, considering that the fortress is still intact."

" _Still_ being human? Is there – is that not an indefinite thing?"

"That would be a question best answered by Mukuro."

* * *

 **A/N:** Silly Yusuke, always jumping to conclusions. We've officially begun hero development for Ren! No surprise here that when you aren't a total pain in the ass training with Genkai can actually go _much_ smoother. But...what was that?Uh oh, can you feel that rumble beneath your feet? Me-thinks there's about to be some sneaky happenings coming soon! The Makai Tournament is about to kick into high gear, but with Yusuke fighting, well, I'm sure Ren will find herself in some interesting places. Stay tuned!


End file.
